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#NIHR Parliamentary Day @NIHR_NOCRI #CLAHRCs

The NIHR became the focus in Parliament last week, as Minister for Life Sciences George Freeman MP hosted the first NIHR Parliamentary Day in Westminster.

MPs and Peers were invited to a drop-in event on Wednesday 13 January to learn about the world-class research funded and supported by the NIHR and how, over the last ten years, the NIHR has transformed the research environment in England to become the most integrated health research system in the world.

George Freeman urged MPs to become ambassadors for the NIHR to ensure that patients in their constituencies and beyond continue to get access to the benefits of health research. He also officially launched the start of the ‘NIHR at 10’ celebrations to mark the NIHR’s tenth anniversary.

The NIHR Office for Clinical Research Infrastructure (NOCRI) team helped to organise the event and hosted the ‘growth zone’ – a stand showcasing the NIHR’s contribution to the growth of the economy and to attracting global investment in health research.

We were joined on the stand by Professor Graham Lord, Director of the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre; Professor Ian Bruce, Director of the NIHR Manchester Musculoskeletal Biomedical Research Unit; and Professor Sue Mawson, Director of the NIHR Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Research and Health Care (Yorkshire and Humber).

The stand was visited by MPs who sit on the Science and Technology Select Committee, and several MPs who were interested in finding out about NIHR activities in their local area.

Mark Samuels, Managing Director for NOCRI, said: “The Parliamentary Day was a fantastic opportunity to bring the various parts of the NIHR together to showcase the depth and breadth of our work. There was a great buzz in the room and so much enthusiasm from all involved.”